A CAREER WAS BORN OUT OF PASSION FOR COOKING. FOR MY FAMILY WHO ARE MY SUPPORT SYSTEM!

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Back to the Kitchen:

With me it always goes back to the Kitchen when I feel stressed, anxious or need to figure out what is best for me.

Health issues are never something most of us want to discuss especially with our children. It is a sensitive topic and either can harm or help.

To have that test ordered by the Doctor or not! The consequences lye with you the patient. My instinct tells me to hold off until it really becomes necessary. My Doctor is concerned!

Hence I am in the kitchen to relax, thinking how to solve my problem while dealing with a bag of yellow tomatoes I received from a friend.

I cleaned the tomatoes, pureed them coarsely in my food processor, packed the puree in individual containers and put them in the freezer to use during the cold weather season. I feel that this is a good move. I know of no one who ever tried that, if you have let me know.

The following recipe is one of my favored for pasta, it is so easy and refreshing and no cooking. Of course you have to cook the pasta.

Fresh Summer Tomato Sauce over Pasta

2 large ripe tomatoes

4 tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

¼ cup chopped scallions or shallots

1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Pasta can be any you like, best is Angel hair or linguini

Parmesan Cheese or Blue Cheese for topping.

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes, remove and drop in cold water for 1 minute, remove and peel. (If you do not want to blanch the tomatoes, puree them coarse and do not worry about the seeds proceed with the recipe)

In a bowl cut tomatoes in half and remove seeds, safe the juice. Dice the tomatoes.

Remove from refrigerator one hour before cooking the pasta. Cook pasta, drain add the tomato mixture and toss well. For extra moisture you can add a dash of chicken stock or white wine to the pasta, toss well.

Makes about 2 cups of sauce

Note: this is a great way to entertain unexpected guests. A salad and Italian bread go well with it.

About Me

I inherited the dining bug from my father, who ran successful dinner clubs in Germany, my native country. My forty plus years of experience in the food service industry include experience as chef, restaurant and private club general manager, and director of food & beverage for hotels. My first major success as a food service professional came with the establishment and the subsequent phenomenal popularity of Annie’s Firehouse Soup Kitchen Restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut.
Other establishments I have worked with include The Graduate Club, in New Haven, Connecticut; the Four Seasons Hotel, Le Premier Restaurant, & Radisson Plaza Hotel, Newport Beach, Dream Inn Hotel, Santa Cruz, Los Gatos Lodge, Los Gatos, Felix & Louis, Healdsburg, all in California; Village Latch Inn, South Hampton, New York; and the Radisson Hotel in Osprey, Florida.
Corporate clients include Conde Nast, Yale University, and Irvine Ranch Farmer’s Market among many others.
Television credits include cooking demonstrations in New Haven, Connecticut and New York City. I have also been featured in the food section of many papers.